Saturable absorber component and method for manufacturing a saturable absorber component

Abstract

This invention relates to a saturable absorber component comprising an absorbent material located between a front mirror and a rear mirror as well as a method for manufacturing a saturable absorber component. The metallic rear mirror is a metallic buried mirror fixed via a welding joint on a heat conductive substrate. The invention applies to the field of high-rate optical transmission.

1. A manufacturing method for making saturable absorber components having an absorbent material located between a front mirror and a rear minor, comprising:
 depositing of a first metallic layer on a heat conductive substrate to create a first structure; 
 forming on a growth substrate a second structure, by providing on the growth substrate the absorbent material, the rear mirror, and a second metallic layer, at least said absorbent material having a thickness less than 100 nm; 
 bringing into contact the first structure and the second metallic layer; 
 soldering by solid-liquid interdiffusion the first structure to the second metallic layer by forming a eutectic film that extends over the entire surface of the first structure; and 
 depositing a diffusion barrier on the rear minor, and depositing a layer of gold on the diffusion barrier. 
 
     
     
       2. The manufacturing method set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising providing a barrier layer and a first phase layer on the growth substrate, and providing a second phase layer on the absorbent material. 
     
     
       3. The method set forth in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 before providing the rear minor on the second phase layer, ion irradiating the second phase layer so as to create crystalline defects in the absorbent material. 
 
     
     
       4. The method set forth in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 successively removing the growth substrate and the barrier layer; and, thereafter 
 etching the first phase layer, said etching being controlled by a spectral characterization of the component. 
 
     
     
       5. The method set forth in  claim 3 , further comprising:
 successively removing the growth substrate and the barrier layer; and, thereafter 
 etching the first phase layer, said etching being controlled by a spectral characterization of the component. 
 
     
     
       6. The method set forth in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 depositing the front mirror after said etching. 
 
     
     
       7. The method set forth in  claim 6 , further comprising:
 providing dielectric layers to form the front mirror as a Bragg mirror. 
 
     
     
       8. The method set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the providing of dielectric layers comprises:
 alternately providing SiO 2  and TiO 2  layers or SiO 2  and Si layers. 
 
     
     
       9. The method set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 epitaxially growing on the growth substrate successively, a barrier layer, a front mirror, a first phase layer, the absorbent material, a second phase layer, the rear mirror, and the second metallic layer to form the second structure. 
 
     
     
       10. The method set forth in  claim 9 , further comprising:
 before growing the rear mirror on the second phase layer, ion irradiating the second phase layer so as to create crystalline defects in the absorbent material. 
 
     
     
       11. The method set forth in  claim 10 , wherein said irradiating comprises:
 irradiating with an irradiation energy adjusted so that the ions end travel in the growth substrate. 
 
     
     
       12. The method set forth in  claim 11 , wherein said irradiating comprises:
 irradiating with Ni +6  ions. 
 
     
     
       13. The method set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 forming the front mirror as a Bragg mirror made via alternation of InP and InGaAsP layers. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of saturable absorber components set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 successively removing the growth substrate and a barrier layer predeposited on the growth substrate. 
 
     
     
       15. The method set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the removing comprises:
 removing the growth substrate via mechanical polishing and then via etching. 
 
     
     
       16. The method set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the removing comprises:
 removing the barrier layer via etching. 
 
     
     
       17. The method set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the depositing of the first metallic layer comprises a preceding step of:
 depositing a bonding layer on the heat conductive substrate. 
 
     
     
       18. The method set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 forming the first metallic layer from at least one of Au, Ag, Pd, and Cu; and 
 forming the second metallic layer from any one of In, Sn, and Pb. 
 
     
     
       19. The method set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 depositing for the absorbent material a succession of quantum wells and barriers separating the quantum wells. 
 
     
     
       20. The method set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 depositing for the rear mirror a layer of gold (Au) or silver (Ag) layer.